Tribune Notebook: Close call for Atwater bareback rider

Jul. 12—ATWATER — It was one of those moments spectators at the Heart of the North Rodeo in Spooner, Wisconsin, won't soon forget.

Tyler Berghuis of Atwater had ridden the horse before in his Bareback Riding division.

"It's usually a good horse," he said.

Berghuis made it to the whistle, meaning it was a successful ride. As he was attempting to dismount, he got a bit tangled up and landed into the ground head first, getting knocked unconscious

"It was, 'Good night, Tyler,'" Berghuis quipped.

Berghuis eventually walked off on his own. He even got a 76, a good score, for his ride ("Right on the money," he said), but it wasn't enough to place.

The incident was strange, he said, because it had never happened to him in 10 years of participating in rodeo.

"That's the first time that had ever happened to me," Berghuis said by phone Tuesday.

He was at work at Joe Fordyce Construction Company, saying he had a stiff neck and was likely not going to compete this weekend on the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. Berghuis is of art of the PRCA's Great Lakes Circuit, which mostly competes in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa.

He intends to compete Aug. 11-12 at the Lyon County Fair in Marshall. It has a $18,200 purse.

"I was supposed to be in a couple (rodeos) this week," Berghuis said. "But I think I'm taking the week off."

Berghuis competed in football and wrestling at Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City before going to Tarleton State in Texas to compete in collegiate rodeo. He competed in the Texas Circuit a while before returning home. He calls Tanner Aus of Granite Falls, another pro rodeo cowboy, a friend and says the the two have occasionally traveled together.

Aus, he said, is competing right now in Calgary.

Some on Saturday in Spooner thought that Berghuis might have been stepped on by the horse while he was knocked out. Berghuis isn't sure, but doesn't think so.

"I don't think he (the horse) ever stepped on me," Berghuis said. "I just landed on my head."

He says he's fine and is putting in a full week of work. He looks forward to getting back on the PRCA Great Lakes Circuit.

"I always had a pretty hard head," he quipped.

The Elrosa Saints amateur baseball team inducted three new members into the team's hall of fame, brothers Keith, Ken and Gregg Haider. It was noteworthy partially because their father Vince, 90, also is an Elrosa Baseball Hall of Fame member.

Elrosa currently has the best record in the Stearns County League after beating St. Martin 7-6 last Friday night. Elrosa also captured the championship in its own Elrosa Elite 8 tournament.

Here's the latest Class C amateur baseball state poll: (1) Watertown Red Devils ... (2) Delano Athletics ... (3) New Ulm Brewers ... (4) St. Patrick Irish ... (5) Waconia Lakers ... (6) Jordan Brewers ... (7) St. Martin Martins ... (8) Watkins Clippers ... (9) Waterville Indians ... (10) Luverne Redbirds.

Among the 33 teams receiving honorable mention are: the Atwater Chuckers, Elrosa Saints, Litchfield Blues, Raymond Rockets and Bird Island Bullfrogs.

Voters are Aaron Worm of Albert Lea, Kip Kovar of Howard Lake, Chad Knutson of Heron Lake and yours truly (Tom Elliott of Willmar).

Jacqueline Gossen of Brooten has been honored by the Women's Golf Coaches Association for her academic prowess at Southwest Minnesota State in Marshall.

Gossen, in her second year on the Mustangs' women's golf team, has a 3.97 grade-point average in accounting and finance. She played in all 20 rounds this spring for the Mustangs and finished with an 83.8 average.

She was one of five Southwest Minnesota State players honored. To qualify for the All-Scholar Team, you must have a minimum 3.50 GPA. Gossen played for the Minnewaska/Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa co-op team in high school.

Registration for this year's Hit, Pitch & Run competition is now underway. The event is at 10 a.m. July 30 at Bill Taunton Stadium in Willmar and conducted by the Willmar Stingers baseball team.

The free event is open to all boys and girls ages 8-13.

Participants receive scores based on throwing accuracy, hitting for distance and speed in running the bases, according to a Stingers press release.

Trophies will awarded. Call the Willmar Stingers front office at 320-222-2010 or find a form at the team's website at www.willmarstingers.com.